Changing the clocks for daylight saving is a twice-yearly tradition observed by nearly all of the U.S., but a recent move from the Senate might change that.
With fall in full swing, most of the nation prepares to set its clocks back after 34 weeks of daylight saving time. However, the days of falling back may now be numbered.
Multiple states have filed petitions to end the practice and recent federal legislation may be putting an end to the switch once and for all.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, “On March 15, the Senate passed, by unanimous consent, the Sunshine Protection Act of 2021. If passed by the House and signed by the president, the bill would move forward by one hour what is currently considered standard time by the federal government…the bill also repeals the section of federal law that changes standard time to daylight time from March to November.”
In response to many states filing to enact permanent daylight saving time, the “Sunshine Protection Act,” if passed, will require all states to adopt permanent daylight saving time.
Nineteen states have passed regulations for permanent daylight saving time, most are still awaiting a federal verdict. However, the Sunshine Protection Act would grant their requests and require the rest of the nation to comply. Despite the unanimous ruling in the Senate, the decision invoked uncertainty in the House of Representatives, where the verdict is still unclear, and the bill’s progression has stalled.
Permanently enacting daylight saving time would affect the lives of all Americans.
“I would have some problems adjusting for a bit, but if it’s going away forever, I wouldn’t have any problems,” said junior Jin Nguyen. “I’d be glad to not have to deal with the clock changing twice a year anymore.”
Nguyen isn’t the only one who shares this sentiment. A poll of 800 young adults by Monmouth University showed that 61% of Americans would choose not to have twice annual time shifts.
For that 61%, turning the clocks back is just a hassle, requiring them to change their sleep and business schedules in an already demanding world.
“Waking up early when the clock springs forward messes with my sleep schedule, so I don’t mind not having to deal with that,” said sophomore Elliot Kramer.
The practical gain of an extra hour of sunlight in the mornings has become less important in the world of technology and electric lighting, forcing many to consider if changing the clocks is really worth it.
Daylight saving time was initially enacted to make better use of daylight as sunlight gets scarcer in the winter months. It was first implemented in 1918 during the first World War to boost military production and reduce spending on energy to light buildings, and it has stuck ever since.
Whether students and adults find changing the clocks an unnecessary burden or think it is worth the extra daylight in the mornings, this is a time for a change in time for America.
“Either way I won’t be screaming and crying about it, I guess I’ll just find out,” said sophomore William Garrish.
